Mathis was the fourth of four boys born from Charles Mathis and Alice Lee Mathis. He joined a gang in Detroit when he was a teenager, and at the age of 17, he was convicted for carrying a gun and marijuana on him. He then spent 9 months in prison waiting for the trail, and he later pleaded guilty to lesser the charges on him. He’s been lucky, and the judge gave him a second, ordering his release despite it wasn't the first time he had been arrested and charged. In fact, because of his affiliation to a gang, Mathis had been brought to jail multiple times previously.

At this point of his life, he received humiliations and disgust from almost everyone, including his mother, who was also diagnosed with cancer. Overwhelmed by the situation, and thankful for having had a second chance in life, Mathis realized that he should have step up, and make his sick mother happy.

When he came out of street and jail, Mathis started working at a McDonald’s, even because he needed to keep a job in order to maintain his release on probation. Thanks to some help from a family friend, Mathis was able to enroll in the “Eastern Michigan University”. Mathis maturated a strong interest in politics and public administration, becoming a campus activist, and starting working for the Democrat Party. He graduated with a Bachelor degree in Public Administration. He received his Juris Doctor from the “University of Detroit Mercy” in 1987, but, after failing the Michigan bar exam on his first attempt, he was initially denied a license to practice law for several years because of his turbulent past.

Mathis had a strong interest in politics, and he became an assistant to Clyde Cleveland, a city council member. In 1988 Mathis was appointed head of Jesse Jackson's Presidential campaign in the state of Michigan. Then Mathis became the head of Mayor Coleman Young's re-election campaign, and after his victory, he’s been appointed to run the city's east side city hall.

In 1995 Mathis has been elected a district court judge, becoming the younger person in charge in that role. He continued to be involved in politics, even after reaching national popularity thanks to the successful syndicated judge show he hosts since 1999, and currently in its 19th season, also proudly being the second longest running courtroom show.

In the show, he is known for asking small to small information from the defendants and critically give his decision. His speech on his show always are inspiring. Few people realize that he was once a convicted criminal, and nowadays he is an inspiration to millions. Mathis is determined to keep the young man of his country out of prison, and to solve as many as small disputes plus claims as possible from his show.

He thinks that he was able to defeat his past life, and he feels the responsibility of using himself as an example for the other people, so they know that changing your path, and become a completely different person is possible.

Mathis co-wrote with Zane a novel called “Street Judge” in 2008. Its content is somehow autobiographic, since it’s based on the life of a judge who solves murders. Mathis also wrote a book titled “Of Being a Judge to Criminals and Such” that became a bestseller.